AL FAAB Factor: Waiver Pickups of the Week

This is our weekly look at American League free agents. We have two goals for this article:

1. Identify likely free agents and discuss their strengths and weaknesses.
2. Estimate how much of your $100 starting free-agent budget you should bid on them.

The grid below allows readers to see at a glance how certain players stack up against others and what kind of bids they should command in a variety of formats. The grid, which is sortable by column (click on the header), include a very basic "player grade" column. This serves as a reflection of a player's upside on an A-E scale, prioritizing skills and talent above role and playing time outlook, which are already factored into the recommended bid. Nick Kurtz would have been an "A" grade player last year – that mark will be reserved for similarly high-impact prospects that could thrive in an everyday role.

If there is a player that was not discussed in the article that you would like to know about, feel free to ask about the player in the comments or on our Discord.

Starting Pitcher

Spencer Arrighetti, Astros: The 26-year-old righty came to the rescue of Houston's injury-ravaged rotation Wednesday, fanning 10 Rockies over six innings of one-run ball. Arrighetti also walked four batters, but spotty control has been part of the package ever since he made his big-league debut in 2024. He's got a diverse six-pitch arsenal headlined by a curve that generated a 42.4 percent whiff rate two years ago when he was healthy, but there is at least a yellow flag in his profile – his four-seam fastball averaged just 92.2 mph in his season debut, down nearly two mph from 2024. It's not like the Astros have better options right now, though, and his strikeout upside is obvious. Arrighetti should get a long run while Hunter Brown et al are on the shelf. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: $21

Dean Kremer, Orioles: Kremer has made two starts since getting called up to replace Zach Eflin, and against two credible opponents (Cleveland and Arizona) he's racked up a 16:2 K:BB over 11 innings. That's, uhh, pretty good. The 30-year-old right-hander has been leaning on his splitter more than ever, throwing it 42.3 percent of the time in those two outings and getting a 46.3 percent whiff rate with it, and that could be a repeatable formula. Kremer's always been in the streaming/competent depth option bucket as a fantasy asset with a career 4.26 ERA and 1.28 WHIP over 125 big-league starts, but a spike in his strikeout rate would make him far more intriguing. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Jesse Scholtens, Rays: Scholtens is the somewhat surprising next man up in the Tampa rotation, filling a bulk relief role the last two turns and not allowing a run over 9.2 innings with a 7:3 K:BB. The Rays have him throwing his slider more and mainly using a sinker against right-handed batters instead of his four-seamer, but his track record isn't encouraging and that four-seam velocity is down to 92.7 mph, a huge drop from the 95.3 mph he averaged in 2025. Still, in a sheltered role he could have some success, and Scholtens lines up to make two trips to the mound this week, at home against the Reds and Twins, giving him a little more streaming appeal than the motley crew of arms listed below. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $5

Noah Schultz, White Sox: The 22-year-old southpaw showed some jitters in his big-league debut Tuesday, walking four batters in 4.1 innings, but he also flashed his upside with four Ks. Schultz has ace-level upside if everything comes together for him, but as a lanky 6-foot-10 hurler with a bit of a weird short-arm delivery, keeping his mechanics in sync is always going to be something of a challenge. The White Sox will let him work through his growing pains, or at least they have no reason not to, and at least through his first three outings this season at Triple-A (19:2 K:BB in 14 innings) his control seemed to have taken a big step forward. Unless the Mariners get hit with a rash of rotation injuries and need to promote Kade Anderson or Ryan Sloan, it could be a while before we see a pitcher with Schultz's upside get the call in the AL. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: $21

Others:

Peter Lambert, Astros: 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Ryan Weiss, Astros 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Two-start options, Mon-Sun

Via RotoWire's Probable Pitchers grid

Mick Abel, Twins (at NYM, at TB)
Sean Burke, White Sox (at ARI, vs. WAS)
Slade Cecconi, Guardians (vs. HOU, at TOR)
Luis Gil, Yankees (at BOS, at HOU)
J.T. Ginn, Athletics (at SEA, at TEX)
Colton Gordon, Astros (at CLE, vs. NYY)
Jack Kochanowicz, Angels (vs. TOR, at KC)
Kumar Rocker, Rangers (vs. PIT, vs. ATH)

Relief Pitcher

Enyel De Los Santos, Astros: With Bryan Abreu still sporting an ERA well north of 10.00 and Bryan King apparently viewed as more of a multi-inning fireman, the door is hanging open in the Houston bullpen for someone else to collect saves until Josh Hader gets healthy. De Los Santos was that guy over the past week, closing out wins Tuesday and Wednesday, and through 6.2 innings this season the journeyman righty has a 1.35 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 6:1 K:BB. De Los Santos has pitched for six different teams since 2023 for a reason, but if you need short-term saves, he could give you a useful few weeks. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Joel Kuhnel, Athletics: Kuhnel is the ninth-inning option du jour for the Sacramento Exiles, picking up three saves in five appearances since April 8. The veteran right-hander has ditched his four-seamer almost completely, replacing it with a sinker to completemt his slider and changeup, and so far that's resulted in a 0.00 ERA, 0.33 WHIP and 3:0 K:BB through six innings. Kuhnel doesn't have closer-quality stuff, but that's far less important than the fact that he's getting opportunities, and it's not like anyone else is stepping up in the A's bullpen right now. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Chase Silseth, Angels: Jordan Romano is hanging onto the closer role by a fingernail after blowing his last two save chances, and while Kirby Yates and Ben Joyce could both be back by the end of the month, neither one's quite ready to come off the IL yet. Meanwhile, Silseth has seen a heavy workload by appearing in 11 of the Angels' first 22 games and posting a 2.35 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 9:6 K:BB over 7.2 innings, with four of those walks coming in one game. He's averaging a career-high 96.3 mph with his four-seamer and generating a career-best 46.9 percent whiff rate with his splitter, a pitch that's getting more drop than in years past and which he's using more than even. It's a promising high-leverage profile, and new manager Kurt Suzuki may decide Silseth is his guy before Yates or Joyce get a chance to throw their hat in the ring. He's still a dart throw until he actually gets his first career save, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Louis Varland, Blue Jays: Jeff Hoffman doesn't seem to have put the World Series behind him yet. The Jays have given him every chance to lock the closer role back down, but instead he seems to unravel at the least little bit of adversity – Saturday he was brought in to keep the game tied in the eighth inning and gave up back-to-back cheap singles to lead off the frame. Rather than buckling down, he walked the next batter on four pitches, then served up a grand slam to Corbin Carroll. Yikes. Toronto manager John Schneider had Varland warming up for the ninth had Hoffman gotten his job done, the strongest sign yet that a change is coming at the back of the bullpen. Varland has a 0.00 ERA through 11 innings to begin the season, and while that's a bit deceptive as he has given up unearned runs in three separate appearances, there's no smoke and mirrors in his 16:3 K:BB. This could be your last chance to grab him on the cheap. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Catcher

Victor Caratini, Twins: Caratini has been a near-everyday player for Minnesota to begin the season, seeing eight games at catcher, seven at first base, and a couple at DH for good measure. The veteran switch hitter hasn't done a whole lot with the playing time, slashing .241/.352/.310 with a homer, five runs and eight RBI, but that still has value in deeper two-catcher formats with an additional boost in OBP leagues. With multiple starting backstops on the IL right now, Caratini offers a high-floor replacement. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Others:

Elias Diaz, Royals 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Sam Huff, Orioles 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

Ezequiel Duran, Rangers: Duran has been getting regular work in a super-utility role to begin the year, playing at least five games at second base, third base and left field already while also spotting in at shortstop and right field. The 26-year-old has taken advantage, putting together a .289/.347/.422 slash line with a homer, three steals, six runs and seven RBI. Duran offers more speed than power but can make modest contributions in both areas, and the positional versatility – he qualifies at first base and short from 2025 – given him additional value as a bench stash you can plug in when needed, much like Mauricio Dubon. Duran doesn't have a tremendous ceiling, but he can raise the floor on your roster. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Others:

Lenyn Sosa, Blue Jays 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Second Base

Sam Antonacci, White Sox: Antonacci's started four straight games in left field since his promotion, including one against a left-handed pitcher, going just 1-for-15 but drawing two walks against one strikeout. The 23-year-old is a nice prospect, and while a lack of power limits his fantasy upside, it looks as though the White Sox will give him a chance to be an everyday player. If you need steals especially, he should be on your radar – Antonacci swiped five in 14 games at Triple-A Charlotte prior to his promotion, and had 48 in 57 attempts last season between High-A and Double-A. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Daniel Schneemann, Guardians: The 29-year-old utility player is raking right now, hitting safely in seven straight games while batting .478 (11-for-23) with two doubles, two homers, five runs and nine RBI. Schneemann's surge in playing time has come since Gabriel Arias got hurt and Juan Brito flopped while attempting to replace him, but he's mainly bounced between second base and center field rather than being the clear starter at the keystone. Schneemann's career .669 OPS strongly suggests he won't keep this up much longer, and there's nothing on his Statcast page to suggests he's revamped his swing or anything. He's just a guy to ride while he's hot, and drop when he cools off. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Others:

Third Base

Josh Jung, Rangers: The 28-year-old has caught fire of late, hitting safely in eight of the last nine games while batting .412 (14-for-34) with seven doubles and two homers – his first XBH of the year – plus six runs and six RBI. Jung's always had real power upside, but his inability to stay healthy has held him back, and that makes it tough to project a real breakout for him until he shows he can stay on the field and stay productive for more than a week or two. Still, if you need help at 3B or CI, he could be worth rolling the dice on. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Oswald Peraza, Angels: Vaughn Grissom's activation last week appears to have lit a fire under Peraza. The 25-year-old has homered three times in seven games since then, batting .348 (8-for-23) with a double, two steals, five runs and six RBI as well while playing more third base than second base. Yoan Moncada's been hitting better during that time as well, and while there's at-bats for everyone while Jorge Soler is suspended, the Halos will have a bit of a squeeze once he's back. If I had to guess, Moncada's the one in the most danger – he's a 30-year-old who plays poor defense at the hot corner, and the team has no real investment in him financially. Peraza (and Grissom for that matter) is five years younger and still has some theoretical upside, at least. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Shortstop

Brayan Rocchio, Guardians: Very quietly, Rocchio has made improvements in his offensive profile, and it could lead to a career-best season at the plate. While his .222/.338/.397 slash line doesn't look like much, he's already gone yard three times in 21 games after popping 13 long balls in 258 games over the prior two campaigns. More importantly, he's cut his strikeout rate nearly in half to 10.7 percent while producing a career-high 12.0 percent walk rate in the early going. He may not be hitting the ball appreciably harder, but more contact, and in more favorable counts, will lead to more production, and Rocchio's defense will keep him in the lineup every day. He's also 0-for-2 on steal attempts, but even the 25-year-old's sprint speed is in the 63rd percentile, another personal best. He's becoming a sneaky threat for a 10-10, or maybe even a 15-15, kind of season. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: Rostered

Outfield

Carlos Cortes, Athletics: With Brent Rooker out of action, Cortes has become a regular part of the lineup against right-handed pitching while bouncing between DH and the outfield corners. He hasn't exploited that opportunity yet, batting .200 (5-for-25) over his last eight games with a homer, but the playing-time boost will have value in deep formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Jasson Dominguez, Yankees: The Yankees don't have a pressing need to call Dominguez up yet, but Trent Grisham has a .593 OPS through 20 games and Giancarlo Stanton is probably overdue for his next IL stint. Dominguez, meanwhile, is making it very clear he doesn't want to be in Triple-A one minute longer than he needs to be, slashing .309/.420/.441 with two homers, eight steals and a 12:12 BB:K in 18 games. In leagues where he's been cut loose or was never even drafted, the 23-year-old needs to be stashed. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $3

Jeremiah Jackson, Orioles: Jackson Holliday resumed his rehab assignment this week and could be back by the end of the month, but there's no guarantee he'll be the Jackson starting at second base for the O's once he's healthy. Jeremiah J is the hottest hitter on the team right now, slugging five homers with 13 RBI over the last eight games while batting .387 (12-for-31). Of course, the 26-year-old utility player could have begun to cool down by the time Holliday is activated, but if not, it'll be very difficult for Baltimore to justify taking him out of the lineup. Jackson could slid into a super-utility role at that point, however – he has extensive experience in the minors at third base and shortstop, and played 34 games in right field in the majors last year. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered

Everson Pereira, White Sox: Pereira returned from an ankle injury April 14 and immediately began building a case for a starting job, homering in his first two games back and going 5-for-17 (.294) with a couple doubles as well. The 25-year-old has never gotten a real chance in the majors, but he flashed some power in the minors, including 21 homers in just 78 Triple-A games between the Yankees and Rays systems last season. Pereira may just be a Quad-A guy, but at least while Austin Hays is out, the White Sox might as well let him prove it one way or the other. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Leody Taveras, Orioles: Taveras has emerged as the top option in center field for Baltimore, starting eight of the last nine games while slashing a sizzling .357/.455/.536 with a homer, a steal, six runs and six RBI. Manager Craig Albernaz may just be riding the hot hand, but Colton Cowser is flailing away with a .469 OPS, so it's not like there's much competition right now. If Taveras hangs onto a starting gig, the 27-year-old has shown power-speed upside in the past, and a career-low 20.8 percent strikeout rate to begin 2026 is also very encouraging. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Taylor Trammell, Astros: With Joey Loperfido joining Jake Meyers on the shelf for the Astros, there's plenty of playing time available in the outfield. Brice Matthews will get some looks too, but Trammell has come out of the gates hot since his promotion from Triple-A, batting .292 (7-for-24) in eight games with a steal, two runs and four RBI. The 28-year-old has a career .181/.282/.354 slash line over 186 MLB games, so don't get too excited yet, but Trammell's power-speed potential has been intriguing ever since he was a prospect in the Reds system. If he's able to make contact at even an adequate rate, he could turn out to be a late bloomer. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

George Valera, Guardians: Valera has started four of five games since making his season debut April 14, splitting his time between the outfield corners while going 4-for-14 with two doubles. The 25-year-old had his development as a prospect derailed by injuries, but he still offers some power potential, launching 41 homers in just over 1,000 plate appearances at Triple-A since first reaching the level in 2022. Valera may only need to out-perform Angel Martinez to claim a regular spot in the lineup. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Others:

Johnathan Rodriguez, Orioles 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Weston Wilson, Orioles 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1